In an off-season full of roster turnover, the O’s appear to have made one last significant move, signing Vladimir Guerrero to a one-year contract[1]. The deal hasn’t been confirmed yet, but if it goes through, Guerrero will join a starting lineup that includes plenty of other new faces.

President of Baseball Operations, Andy MacPhail, hasn’t had time for opening presents or shoveling his driveway this winter. Instead, he has added infielders Derrek Lee, Mark Reynolds, and J.J. Hardy to his ballclub, giving manager Buck Showalter some reliable power and defense.

Wow. Adding Guerrero to that lineup changes it from “yeah, we improved”, to something like, “yeah, we’re here to compete”. The O’s have a collection of proven hitters, and have a future MVP candidate in Wieters.

[3]

Luke Scott refusing to sit the bench

The only issue I see in this lineup is Luke Scott. It’s not that he can’t hit, but I don’t know if he can play defense. With Guerrero presumably hogging the DH role, will Showalter be comfortable with Scott in LF? I’m guessing that with the solid defense he’s getting out of Jones and Markakis, Buck can live with a few blunders from Scott, assuming Scott is producing at the plate. Funny thing is, Scott actually rated on the positive side of UZR when he was a full-time outfielder.

This O’s team is starting to remind me of the Reds. The two teams have powerful offenses, starting rotations loaded with young arms, and are both led by winning managers.